Brian Wedgeworth, 47, posed as a surgeon and operated the scam nationwide over five years, using at least 13 'Doctor' aliases.
A sham doctor in Florida who swindled $1.3 million from women he duped at online dating sites was sentenced to nine years in federal prison this month after pleading guilty to more than two dozen counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, the Department of Justice says.
The defendant Brian Brainard Wedgeworth, 47, formerly of Tallahassee and Center Point, Alabama, operated the catfishing scam over five years, using at least 13 "Doctor" aliases, including: Dr. Brian Anderson; Dr. Anthony Watkins; Dr. Brian Adams; Dr. Edward Chen; Dr. Brian Chris; Dr. Chris Williamson; Dr. Brian Christopher Williamson; Dr. Brian Edmonds; Dr. Brian Ammerson; Dr. Brian Lamar Wilson; Dr. Brian Wilson; Dr. Brian Mims; and Dr. Brian Lamar Sims, prosecutors say.
He pleaded guilty in May to 25 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering, says Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
"Our citizens should not be preyed upon by fraudsters who steal through overtures of affection," Coody says. "(This) sentence should serve as a significant deterrent to criminals of like mind."
Court documents showed that between October 2016 and March 2021, Wedgeworth defrauded more than 30 women across the country who he met through online dating forums by falsely claiming he was a physician, wooing them, and inducing them to send him more than $1.3 million in money and jewelry.
Wedgeworth's sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release, and he will also be required to pay more than $1.1 million in restitution. The investigation was led by U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations unit.
“Our citizens should not be preyed upon by fraudsters who steal through overtures of affection.”
Jason R. Coody, US Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
John Commins is a content specialist and online news editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Brian Wedgeworth defrauded more than 30 women across the country who he met through online dating forums.
He falsely claimed he was a physician, wooing them, and induced them to send him more than $1.3 million in money and jewelry.
He pleaded guilty in May to 25 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering